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Saturday, November 8, 2014

Carlos Asuaje: The Versatile Boston Red Sox Prospect With The Big Bat

The Boston
Red Sox have made a cottage industry out of getting big production from
undersized infielders in recent years. Dustin Pedroia
and Mookie
Betts are the most recent examples, but there is another player speeding up
through the minors behind them in Carlos
Asuaje.

The 5’9” and
160-pound Asuaje is 23 and just wrapped up his second professional season. Born
in Venezuela but raised in the United States, he became an elite player and
wound up attending Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida,
where he hit well over .300 in each of his three seasons.

In 2013, the
Red Sox made the left-handed hitting Asuaje their 11th-round selection in the
draft. He hit a very respectable .269 with a home run and 20 RBIs in 52 games
with the Lowell Spinners but didn’t stand out in any one area. That all changed
this past season. Splitting time with Single-A Greenville and Single-A Advanced
Salem, he appeared in 129 games and hit a combined .310 with 38 doubles, 12
triples, 15 homers, 101 RBIs, and an impressive .393 OBP. He also showed
enormous versatility in the field, spending significant time at second, third
and the outfield. His performance was also essentially unchanged after he was
promoted, which is always a very encouraging sign for a young player.

The 2015
season should be a big one for Asuaje, as he nears the upper reaches of the
minor league system. If he can continue showing a potent bat, ability to get on
base and play multiple positions, he should be on the fast track for the
rebuilding Red Sox.

Recently, Asuaje
answered some questions about his career and baseball in general. Make sure to
keep a close eye on this rising Boston prospect. In addition to reading this
interview, give him a follow on Twitter,
so you can keep up with him during the 2015 season and beyond.

Carlos Asuaje Interview

Who was your favorite player when
you were growing up, and why?: Growing up I always admired Derek Jeter. I think he’s everyone’s
favorite player. He’s such a good role model that it’s easy to look up to him.
He was the captain of the Yankees ever since I started watching baseball and he
was so fun to watch day in and day out.

You play all over the field but
which position do you feel most comfortable?: I would say I feel most
comfortable at second base. I played shortstop all my life except two years of
second that I played in college, but when I go to the right side of the infield
I just feel at home really.

Growing up a Yankees fan, how did
you reconcile being drafted by Boston?: Yes, I was a huge Yankee fan growing up and my dad was a huge
Boston fan and obviously still is. But going into draft day, I really didn’t
have a “favorite team,” if that makes sense. It was funny and ironic getting
drafted by the team I always rivaled as a kid, but I was just ecstatic to get
selected by such a great organization.

How did you first find out that
the Red Sox were interested in you, and what was your draft experience like?: After my summer playing in Cape
Cod, I had a bunch of meetings with about 15 team scouts. One of them was
Willie Romay of the Red Sox, who ended up being the scout that drafted me. In
our interview he asked me a bunch of question, and I think my character really
made an impact on him. But draft day was a mess. I wanna say everything went as
planned but it really didn’t. I don’t think I ate all day I was so nervous. But
when I finally heard my name, it was such a weight off my shoulders. I was just
really happy and my family was super proud.

How pleased were you with the
major jump in production you made in your second professional season in 2014?: I was definitely pleased. It’s
funny because there were so many people who looked at my first year and thought
of me as “just another little guy,” and after this year they were shocked.
There were only a few people, mostly in my small circle, that knew this was
going to happen. It felt great showing what I can do with an opportunity. I
felt like the work I put in last off-season was deserving of the season I had,
and I don’t plan on taking a step backwards anytime soon.

What is the one part of your game
that you hope to improve on the most?: I’ve always been a big believer that you can never stop improving
as a ball player, in all aspects of the game. I may have had a good offensive
year last season, but if I start slacking at all, this game will humble me in a
heartbeat. If I had to break it into a few major improvements, I would say I
would need to improve on my defense, speed and strength.

What are your top goals for 2015?: My top goals for 2015 would be
simple, just like my goals last year. Have consistently good at-bats, make the
routine plays, be aggressive on the base paths, and help my team win every time
I step on the field.

How much attention do you pay to
all of the commotion made about Boston's great farm system, and where do you
think you belong in those conversations?: I really don’t like paying all the commotion
made about the farm system any attention really. It seems kind of
counterintuitive but I feel like focusing on that stuff can really cloud your
state of mind. I don’t worry about any moves or deals or possibilities or
anything of the sort, I just focus on controlling what I can control, which is
going out and playing the game as well as I can every day, and leave the rest
up to the people in charge.